References & Sources - January 9, 1999

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To Bead or Not to Bead?

Physicists are investigating the spontaneous break-up of ultrathin liquid films, which may spell trouble for high technology that is becoming reliant on thinner and thinner coatings.

References:

Bischof, J., et al. 1996. Dewetting modes of thin metallic films: Nucleation of holes and spinodal dewetting. Physical Review Letters 77(Aug. 19):1536.

Herminghaus, S., K. Jacobs . . . J. Bischof, et al. 1998. Spinodal dewetting in liquid crystal and liquid metal films. Science 282(Oct. 30):916.

Jacobs, K., S. Herminghaus, and K.R. Mecke. 1998. Thin liquid polymer films rupture via defects. Langmuir 14:965.

Kerle, T. . . . J. Klein, et al. 1998. Van der Waals stable thin liquid films: Correlated undulations and ultimate dewetting. Europhysics Letters 44(Nov. 15):484.

Reiter, G. 1998. The artistic side of intermolecular forces. Science 282(Oct. 30):888.

Sferrazza, M. . . ., and R.A.L. Jones. 1998. Interfacial instability driven by dispersive forces: The early stages of spinodal dewetting of a thin polymer film on a polymer substrate. Physical Review Letters 81(Dec. 7):5173.

Sharma, A., and R. Khanna. 1998. Pattern formation in unstable thin liquid films. Physical Review Letters 81(Oct. 19): 346.

Stange, T.G., D.F. Evans, and W.A. Hendrickson. 1997. Nucleation and growth of defects leading to dewetting of thin polymer films. Langmuir 13:4459.

Wyart, F.B., and J. Daillant. 1990. Drying of solids wetted by thin liquid films. Canadian Journal of Physics 68:1084.

Xie, R., A. Karim, et al. 1998. Spinodal dewetting of thin polymer films. Physical Review Letters 81(Aug. 10):1251.

Further Readings:

Lipkin, R. 1996. Thin-film mirror changes into a window. Science News 149(March 23):182.

Reiter, G. 1993. Unstable thin polymer films: Rupture and dewetting processes. Langmuir 9:1344.

______. 1992. Dewetting of thin polymer films. Physical Review Letters 68(Jan. 6):75.

Wu, C. 1996. Aerogel films as electronic insulators. Science News 150(Dec. 14):383.

Sources:

Jörg Bishof
University of Konstanz
Department of Physics
P.O. Box 5560
M676
D-78434 Konstanx
Germany

Françoise Brochard-Wyart
Institut Curie
Section de Physique et Chimie
Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Surfaces et Interfaces
11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie
75231 Paris Cedex 05
France

Stephan Herminghaus
Max Planck Institute for Colloid and Interface Science
Rudower Chaussee 5
D-12489 Berlin-Aldershof
Germany

Karin Jacobs
Max Planck Institute for Colloid and Interface Science
Rudower Chaussee 5
D-12489 Berlin-Aldershof
Germany

Richard A.L. Jones
University of Sheffield
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road
Sheffield S3 7RH
United Kingdom

Alamgir Karim
National Institute of Standards and Technology
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8542
Gaithersburg, MD 20899

Jacob Klein
Weizmann Institute of Science
Department of Materials and Interfaces
76100 Rehovot
Israel

Günter Reiter
Institut de Chemie des Surfaces et Interfaces—CNRS
15 rue Jean Starcky
B.P. 2488
68057 Mulhouse Cedex
France

Terry G. Strange
University of Minnesota
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Anton Vrij
van't Hoff Laboratory
Sterrenbos 19, Utrecht
Netherlands

Pierre Wiltzius
Bell Laboratories
Condensed Matter Physics Research Department
1D-428, 600-700 Mountain Avenue
Murray Hill, NJ 07974-0636

From Science News, Vol. 155, No. 2, January 9, 1999, p. 28. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.

Copyright 1999 Science Service